Lotions all turn out with a vaseline feel - please help

[jewel531]

Here is the latest recipe - can anyone tell me why it has such a vaseline(y) feel to it.

6 tbsp. sweet almond oil
4 tbsp. coconut oil
2 1/2 tbsp. beeswax
1 tbsp. lecithin
6 tbsp. glycerine
1/2 tsp. coconut fragrance oil

What can I add or subtract to fix this problem. I am just starting out and can't figure out what is doing this.

Please help - thanks!!

 

[carebear]

I think you could do with some water...

 

[jewel531]

Thanks

Thanks, I was thinking that I might need some water, do you know how much I should add?

 

[carebear]

Mmmm I think you should probably start with a tried and true recipe from somewhere (maybe some here? not sure). It's not just a matter of adding water, you need to mess with the emulsifier and the balance and all - lecithin is not a particularly good emulsifier. And of course absolutely a preservative.

Sorry I can't be more help - I'm no lotion queen, I just follow directions!

 

[jewel531]

No its a big help

I'll just start from scratch again. Its still fun learning!

 

[brambleberry]

Lecithin and Beeswax aren't particularly great emulsifiers for mixing water with oil. They work but they're not ideal. You might consider trying a 25 - 50% water addition and also do borax at a small %, 1% maybe? Borax can work as a secondary emulsifier when used in conjunction with beeswax.

 

[luvinbeingmommy]

What you've made here is basically a body BALM not a lotion. That's why it feels the way it does. A lotion has water in it, an you are not using a proper emulsifer. You should be using e-wax, polysorbate 20 as WELL as licithin to emulsify your lotion. You don't need the beswax. I posted this on another topic but I'll help you out as well.

Take 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup sweet almond oil, 6 tbsp of vegetable glycerine, and 1/4 cup of coconut oil, and warm the ingredient up together in a large bowl.

Next take 1 tsp of licithin and 3 tbsp of e-wax and warm those up in a separate container. While both the water/oil mixture and licithin/e-wax mixture are hot. Pour the hot licithin/e-wax mixture into the hot oil/water mixture and blend with a stick blender. The mixture should look like a whitish water (like milk). Allow the mixture to set for 30 minutes or so, and voila! You have lotion! If your mixture begind to separate, put in a couple of tbsp of polysorbate 20 to emulsify the mixture, and blend it afterwards. Percentages confuse me so I rather tell people how to make lotion using cups/tbsp/ect . This should help you out. If you find the mixture to still be too geasy you may need to substitute the coconut oil for a less greasy oil like Jojoba oil. Put in a couple squirts of vitamin E and a preservative so that your mixture wont grow bacteria. This should make your produt an actual LOTION.

Feel free to contact me if you need anymore help. Also you can thicken your lotion with arrowroot if you want.

Here is the latest recipe - can anyone tell me why it has such a vaseline(y) feel to it.

6 tbsp. sweet almond oil
4 tbsp. coconut oil
2 1/2 tbsp. beeswax
1 tbsp. lecithin
6 tbsp. glycerine
1/2 tsp. coconut fragrance oil

What can I add or subtract to fix this problem. I am just starting out and can't figure out what is doing this.

Please help - thanks!!

 

[luvinbeingmommy]

What you've made here is basically a body BALM not a lotion. That's why it feels the way it does. A lotion has water in it, an you are not using a proper emulsifer. You should be using e-wax, polysorbate 20 as WELL as licithin to emulsify your lotion. You don't need the beswax. I posted this on another topic but I'll help you out as well.

Take 1/2 cup of water, 1/4 cup sweet almond oil, 6 tbsp of vegetable glycerine, and 1/4 cup of coconut oil, and warm the ingredient up together in a large bowl.

Next take 1 tsp of licithin and 3 tbsp of e-wax and warm those up in a separate container. While both the water/oil mixture and licithin/e-wax mixture are hot. Pour the hot licithin/e-wax mixture into the hot oil/water mixture and blend with a stick blender. The mixture should look like a whitish water (like milk). Allow the mixture to set for 30 minutes or so, and voila! You have lotion! If your mixture begind to separate, put in a couple of tbsp of polysorbate 20 to emulsify the mixture, and blend it afterwards. Percentages confuse me so I rather tell people how to make lotion using cups/tbsp/ect . This should help you out. If you find the mixture to still be too geasy you may need to substitute the coconut oil for a less greasy oil like Jojoba oil. Put in a couple squirts of vitamin E and a preservative so that your mixture wont grow bacteria. This should make your produt an actual LOTION.

Feel free to contact me if you need anymore help. Also you can thicken your lotion with arrowroot if you want.

Here is the latest recipe - can anyone tell me why it has such a vaseline(y) feel to it.

6 tbsp. sweet almond oil
4 tbsp. coconut oil
2 1/2 tbsp. beeswax
1 tbsp. lecithin
6 tbsp. glycerine
1/2 tsp. coconut fragrance oil

What can I add or subtract to fix this problem. I am just starting out and can't figure out what is doing this.

Please help - thanks!!

 

[jewel531]

awesome thanks

I will try this soon and let you know how i fare.

 

[carebear]

Interesting recipe, but hard to get a handle on with teaspoon/tablespoon measurements. For example, I have three sources of beeswax - one with a fine granulation, one with "dots" and one solid block. How are you measuring that?

Does the lecithin really add anything that you don't get from the ewax?

 

[jewel531]

Melted the beeswax

I melted a block of beeswax down and measured out 2 1/2 tbsp. Probably wasn't the best way. I have started to use a digital scale and better recipes. Check out my other post, that recipe was great and it worked out wonderfully. It's much easier with the right tools and good recipes. There is so much information to take in that its a little overwhelming. But I think I am getting the hang out it and its getting a little easier to get my lotions and creams to come out like they are suppose to.

 

[carebear]

great!